Acurácia das características definidoras do diagnóstico de enfermagem "Memória Prejudicada" em idosos

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the accuracy of the defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis Impaired memory in the elderly. It is a diagnostic accuracy study with a cross-sectional approach, developed in a long-term care institution in the city of Fortaleza. The sample consisted of individuals of both sexes, aged above 60 years old and registered in the long-term institution, totaling a sample of 123 elderly. A specific form for data collection was constructed based on the defining characteristics of the diagnosis in question, as presented in the current version of the NANDA-International taxonomy. The form also contained socio demographic data of the elderly. The data were statistically analyzed with the support of the statistical package R version 3.0.2. To verify the sensitivity and specificity of each defining characteristic, we used the method of latent class analysis. The data showed a small demographic predominance of males, predominance of elderly people from other cities of the State and an average age of 74.21 years (+7.73). In addition, it was found that half of the sample had more than three years of stay in the institution, less than 2 years of education and family income less than R$724. All ten defining characteristics evaluated were found in the sample. However, some of them presented low percentage. The most common defining characteristics in the study were Inability to determine whether an action was performed (67.21%), Inability to retain new information (59.35%), and Inability to perform a previously learned skill (55.28%). In all the latent class models, the estimated prevalence of the nursing diagnosis Impaired memory was between 31.05% and 36.43%. The defining characteristics that presented the best measures of accuracy in the study were Inability to learn new skills and Inability to retain new skills in the total sample. In males, the characteristic Inability to perform previously learned skills was the only one that showed statistical significance for both sensitivity and specificity. In the female, Inability to learn new skills and Inability to retain new skills presented high values of sensitivity and specificity. The importance of these findings is the potential to assist the nurses to infer the diagnosis Impaired memory in the elderly, which contributes to a more precise clinical judgment, which is essential for the elaboration of an appropriate plan of care.